Arsenal travel to London to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, a fixture at the top of the Premier League with huge significance.
Chelsea face Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, but both managers cannot agree on the status of the title race. Arsenal are in pole position ahead of their trip to London, with a six-point difference over their opponents, and a win would create an overwhelming nine-point difference.
The Gunners have not won a title since the 2003/04 season but are determined to do better than three consecutive runners-up finishes. Defending champions Liverpool have already lost six of their last seven league games and have fallen to 12th place, while Manchester City are in third place, one point behind Chelsea.
Arteta is under no illusions that Chelsea will pose a tough test on Sunday. The Blues come into the game coming off an impressive 3-0 win over Barcelona, keeping them scoreless in their last three league games.
Asked about Chelsea’s title credentials in Friday’s pre-match press conference, Arteta said: “I think we’re all there and they’re there because they deserve to be there too.”
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“What they’ve done over the last few years, the team they’ve assembled, the numbers they have, the quality they have, the number of coaches they have, it’s no surprise that what’s going on there is very, very positive and I think they deserve to be there.
“They’re one of the most fun teams to watch, they’re fluid, they have a lot of threats, they have a lot of individual talent, they’re very clear about what they want to do, and that’s why they’re so tough.
“Obviously it’s an important game, a big London derby. We’re going to play a really, really good opponent. They’re in very good form and we understand the challenge and we know we’ll have a chance on Sunday as well, so we’re fully prepared for that.”
Maresca, on the other hand, has constantly negated such tags from his team. He did that last season and was vindicated by his team’s fourth-place finish, but he has no intention of changing tack this time either.
“I think it’s too early anyway,” he said. “If we win or not, I think it’s too early. We still have five or six months left, from the end of November. I think it’s very important where we are in February, March. From there we’ll take a decision and see if we can achieve something important.”
Asked if there was any difference between the team from last season and the team they have now, he said: “I think it’s definitely different compared to a year ago, because we’ve had another year together.”
“We had a moment where we can learn from that moment. But for me it’s very early. We’re still in late November or December. So it’s very early and it’s important to be where we are in March, April. Then we’ll see.”
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